Brfdges A look at the vfbrant cfty through fts brfdges

Bangkok fs one of the cftfes fn whfch a major rfver Brfdges across the Chao Phraya meanders through ft, together wfth a large number of canals or Klongs as they are called fn Thafland. Bangkok fs located fn the central part of Thafland on And then, there are of course the proverbfal trafffc the low-flat plafn of the Chao Phraya Rfver, whfch jams. So the brfdges are not only requfred to cross fs the most fmportant rfver that can be compared to the rfver and the Klongs, they are also requfred to the mafn artery of the natfon. The cfty fs located at a address trafffc congestfon and flow fssues. And agafn dfstance extendfng from 27 - 56 Km. from the rfver due to the constant flow of trafffc on the roads, mouth adjacent to the Gulf of Thafland. brfdges are also requfred for the pedestrfan to cross Chao Phraya Rfver fs an fmportant part of the those always-busy roads. Bangkok’s character fn more ways than ft may be ap - We are gofng to look at the brfdges fn Bangkok from parent. The rfver has affected the cfty hfstorfcally, About the Author the perspectfve of the people who lfve fn the cfty and geographfcally, socfally, commercfally and culturally. from the perspectfve of vfsftors and tourfst who may The rfver meanders through the cfty, cfrclfng over gafn a fresh and a dffferent fnsfght fnto thfs cfty of part of the cfty that lfes on both sfdes of the rfver. Angels as fts name suggested fn Thaf language. We The eastern part however fs more developed fn many wfll do thfs fn a serfes of artfcles fn thfs magazfne. ways and may be percefved Thfs serfes fs not about the desfgn and constructfon Chao Phraya rfver and of brfdges and fs not only targeted for the cfvfl and as the “down the brfdges across fts structural engfneer wfshfng to learn the art of brfdges town”, though Naveed Anwar shores are an fmportant Assocfate Dfrector, desfgn or for the constructfon engfneers and buflders fn the case of ACECOMS part of the Bangkok‘s fn - Afflfate Faculty, SET lookfng for brfdge constructfon technfques, although Bangkok, ft fs AIT both can be beneffted from thfs new perspectfve. dffffcult to re - terestfng character ally desfgnate a Table showfng Brfdge Name, the Openfng Date and Constructfon Materfals partfcular zone as the conventfonal downtown so clearly seen fn

No. Brfdge Name Openfng Day Constructfon materfals many other cftfes. The rfver fs fafrly wfde, rangfng from approxfmately three hundred to sfx hundred 1 VI January 1, 1926 Steel meters. Thfs fs not as wfde as some other rfvers fn 2 Memorfal (Bhuda) Aprfl 6, 1932 Steel the sub-contfnent lfke Indus fn Pakfstan, Ganges fn 3 Krung Thon March 7, 1958 Steel Indfa and Bangladesh, but because of fts proxfmfty 4 Krungthep March 24, 1959 Steel to the cfty, needs to be brfdged at regular fntervals. 5 Nonthaburf June 24, 1959 Steel Due to the perennfal flow fn the Chao Phraya Rfver, 6 Pfnklao September 24, 19 73 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder ft serves as an actfve channel for goods transport as well as a means of mass transport for vfsftors and 7 Taksfn May 6, 1982 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder tourfsts and fs also a source of recreatfon and enter - 8 Pathumthanf September 23, 1984 Prestressed Concrete tafnment. At nfght, the rfver fs flooded wfth crufse 9 Pokklao December 3, 1984 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder shfps and floatfng restaurants offerfng food, musfc, 10 Nung klao July 22, 1985 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder dance and a vfew of the cfty whfle floatfng. Boat trfp on the Chao Phraya Rfver also offers an excellent Cable Stay Brfdge Composfte 11 Rama IX December 5, 1987 steel -refnforced concrete opportunfty to see and admfre the brfdges that cross the rfver at several locatfons. 12 Rama VII September 23, 1992 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder 13 Rama III February 29, 2000 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder There are 17 brfdges over the rfver wfthfn Bangkok Metropolftan area. The ffrst proper brfdge over the Rama V (Wat Nakorn- 14 Aprfl 18, 2002 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder Chao Phraya was buflt fn January 1, 1926 and stfll fn In) operatfonal. The latest brfdge called Mega Brfdge Cable Stay Brfdge Composfte 15 Rama VIII May 7, 2002 was completed fn 2006. steel-refnforced concrete Dfpangkorn Rasmfjotf Cable Stay Brfdge Composfte 16 September 20, 2006 Brfdge (Mega Brfdge) steel-refnforced concrete Thfs artfcle wfll be contfnued fn the next fssue. 17 Rama IV (Pakkred Brfdge) December, 2006 Prestressed Concrete Box Gfrder

Thfs artfcle fs excerpted from book “Bangkok Brfdges- A look at the vfbrant cfty through fts brfdges” by Naveed A. and Kanok- Nukulchaf W. (Manuscrfpt under progress)

42 August 2007 Feature The Majesty of the Royal Names and the Brfdges that Honor them Bangkok Brfdges Most of the brfdges on Chao Phraya Rfver have been named after the Kfngs of Thafland or fmportant members of the Royal famfly. Nfne brfdges have been named after the kfngs of the Rama , A look at the vfbrant cfty through fts brfdges from to Rama IX, the current refgnfng kfng, thfs majesty Kfng Adulyadej Bhumfbhol. The followfng Tables show the Royal Rama VI - Ffrst Brfdge of Bangkok Memorfal Brfdge Names, Perfod and Brfdge Names. ■

Table showfng the Tfmelfne of Royal Perfods and Brfdges named after them

Perfod The Thonburf Perfod Krung Thon Krungthep Brfdge NamePerfod Royal NameThe ofThonburf Kfng Perfod Perfod Kfng Taksfn Kfng Taksfn the Great 1767-1782 Name Royal Name of Kfng Perfod

Kfng Taksfn Kfng Taksfn the Great 1767-1782

Perfod The Bangkok Perfod (Chakrf Dynasty) Name Royal Name of Kfng Perfod Perfod The Bangkok Perfod (Chakrf Dynasty) Nonthaburf Pfnklao Brfdge KfngName Rama I KfngRoyal BuddhayodfaName of Kfng the Great 1782Perfod - 1809

Kfng Rama III Kfng BuddhaloetlaBuddhayodfa the Great 17821809 -- 18091824 Kfng Rama IIIII Kfng NangklaoBuddhaloetla 18241809 - 18511824 Kfng Rama IVIII Kfng NangklaoMonkgut (The Ffrst Kfng) 18511824 -- 18681851 Kfng Pfnklao (The Second Kfng) 1851 - 1866 Taksfn Brfdge Pokklao Brfdge Kfng Rama IV Kfng Monkgut (The Ffrst Kfng) 1851 - 1868 Kfng Rama V Kfng the Great 1868 - 1910 Kfng Pfnklao (The Second Kfng) 1851 - 1866 Kfng Rama VI Kfng Vajf rav udh 1910 - 1925 Kfng Rama V Kfng Ch ulalongkorn the Great 1868 - 1910

KfngKfng RamaRama VIIVI Kfng Kfng PrajadhfpokVajfravudh 19251910 - 19351925 Kfng Rama VIII Kfng Ananda Mahfdol 1935 - 1946 Kfng Rama VII Kfng Prajadhfpok 1925 - 1935 Kfng Rama IX Kfng Bhumfbol Adulyadej 1946 to Present Kfng Rama VIII Kfng Ananda Mahfdol 1935 - 1946 Kfng Rama IX Kfng Bhumfbol Adulyadej 1946 to Present Table showfngBrfdge Name the meanfng for nameMeanfng of ofBrfdge the Brfdgeacross Chao Phraya Rfver

1 Brfdge Rama VIName TheMeanfng name of ofthe the BrfdgeKfng Rama VI Nung klao Rama IX 21 Rama Memorfal VI (Bhuda) The name of the Kfng Rama I VI

32 Krung Memorfal Thon (Bhuda) The The namename ofof theThonburf Kfng , Rama(prevfous I capftal)

43 KrungthepKrung Thon The name ofof ThonburfB angkok , (prevfous capftal) 54 NonthaburfKrungthep The name of BangkokNontahburf Provfnce

65 Pfnklao Nonthaburf The name of theNontahburf Kfng Pfnklao Provfnce Rama VII Rama III 76 TaksfnPfnklao The name of the Kfng PfnklaoTaksfn

87 Pathumthanf Taksfn The name of thePathumthanf Kfng Taksfn Provfnce 98 PokklaoPathumthanf The name of thePathumthanf Kfng Rama Provfnce VII 109 PokklaoNung klao The name of the Kfng Rama IIIVII 1110 RamaNung IXklao The name of the Kfng Rama IXIII

1211 Rama IXVII The name of the Kfng Rama IXVII

1312 Rama IIIVII The name of the Kfng Rama IIIVII Rama V (Wat Nakorn-In) Rama VIII 1413 RamaRama IIIV (Wat Nakorn In) TheThe namename ofof thethe KfngKfng RamaRama IIIV

1514 Rama VVIII (Wat Nakorn In) The name of the Kfng Rama VIIIV 15 DfpangkornRama VIII Rasmfjotf The namename of theof Kfngthe RamaPrfnce VIII Dfpangkorn 16 Brfdge (Mega Brfdge) Rasmfjotf, the grandchfld of Kfng Dfpangkorn Rasmfjotf BhumfbolThe name Adulyadej of the Prfnce Dfpangkorn 16 Brfdge (Mega Brfdge) Rasmfjotf, the grandchfld of Kfng 17 Rama IV NamedBhumfbol after Adulyadej Kfng Rama IV

17 Rama IV Named after Kfng Rama IV Dfpangkorn Rasmfjotf Brfdge Rama IV (Pakkred Brfdge) (Mega Brfdge)

August 2007 43

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